Stephen Paul Thomas' Obituary
Stephen Paul Thomas was born in Houston, TX on December 3, 1944, to Richard Jay and Marilyn Elaine (Crocker) Thomas. He would be their only child.
As a boy he moved around a lot because his father was in the Air Force. He always said he loved starting at a new school because he could be anyone he wanted to be. He graduated from high school in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He was a notably handsome young man with dark brown curly hair and lots of it! A subject of much teasing by his daughters as he grew older and balder.
He knew from an early age that he wanted to be a chemist and followed that goal to MIT and SUNY Albany, ending up with two daughters (Wendy in 1967 and Jennifer in 1972) and a doctorate in Organic Chemistry. This period was devoted to the expansion of knowledge. He especially loved the possibilities of space, the adventure, and said that mankind reached its peak during the years of the space race.
He moved his young family to Bartlesville, OK where he worked for Phillips Petroleum first as a chemist and later in management from 1973-1993. He moved in 1993 to Houston, TX to join his soon-to-be wife, Linda. There he worked for Goodyear Tire Company before retiring in 2005.
He loved to travel and experience new things, especially with Linda, who he married in 1994. He called her his “bride” even after decades of marriage. They enjoyed going to concerts and the theater. They could be found wherever they had friends or family. He also loved his cats and could always charm the shyest cats by babying them. In recent years he loved napping, sorry… “checking his eyelids for pinholes”, with his cat Nike, who also liked to supervise his daily physical therapy.
He was a generous and genial host. Those who visited were welcomed with open arms, a cup of coffee, and a big smile, but he would make a show of complaining loudly when asked to share his pie. When asked what his favorite pie was, dad would say, “why, the one in front of me!” When pressed he would confess it was Linda’s coconut cream pie. If it had been too long in his opinion since he’d had pie, he would put on his Eeyore voice and mope about how nobody loved him, and he didn’t have pie. He would often earn a good-natured cuff on his head after which he’d duck and laugh. And then count down until the pie was ready.
He was a patient teacher and enjoyed sharing what he knew, especially with eager learners. He loved to play card and domino games. One game in particular earning him the title of “Redneck with a Spreadsheet”. He embraced his new blended family including Linda’s children, Jeff, Jon and Jana as well as Linda’s large, lively, and loving extended family which included a bonus of 4 step-grandchildren. When his grandkids were born (Gabriel in 2012 and Cecilia in 2015) they were a new audience for his love of knowledge and amusing gifts. He had a special bond with Gabe over science and math, and being a girl-dad, he had a fondness for Cecilia who entertained him with her stories, sass, and exuberance.
In 2020 he and Linda relocated to Broken Arrow, OK to be closer to family. On Sunday, March 24th, 2024, Steve passed away after a brief illness. He was 79 years old. He will be missed by his wife of 30 years, his family, his friends, and many cats. I sure do hope they have pie where he’s going!
In lieu of flowers please make a donation to the American Parkinson's Disease Association in Stephens name.
https://www.apdaparkinson.org/community/oklahoma/
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